Wild Transylvania is a collection of stories documenting the lives of people and animals in a far away place on the fringes of Europe, a place known as the "land beyond the forest". People here are tough and rugged, striving to make a living in a landscape that has been unchanged for centuries, a place where wild bears and wolves still roam.

I have a specific interest in the lives of Transhumance shepherds, that spend the long winters with their families in remote Carpathian villages, but then come spring move to wild meadows with their dogs and flocks of sheep. Once grazed the shepherds then move further into the mountains and forests, coexisting with predators that share the same environment. This is where the real struggle for survival begins for both man and wild animals and continues right through to the autumn, before returning to the safety of village life.

A village spectacle occurs each evening which is the norm for villagers in Transylvania but unique to outside observers. After the cows have grazed all day on meadows close to forests where bears and wolves roam, protected by herders and dogs, they are then returned to the edge of the village in the evening. From there, the cows make their own way home! Continue....

Documenting the exceptional biodiversity of Transylvanian meadows has been my passion for many years. So when I turned on the radio and heard Prince Charles discussing the importance of these meadows and how they fit into the cycle of life within the Carpathian region, only confirms my own belief that Transylvania holds the key to relearning tried and tested methods of agriculture that are good to both people and nature in simultaneously Continue....

NAT GEO Television contacted me requesting my assistance to help them make a wildlife film about predators in the eastern Carpathians. This was part of a larger project called the Secret Life of Predators, filmed in several locations around the globe. Of course I jumped at the chance as I am always looking for opportunities to raise awareness of this bio-diverse ecosystem which is under ever increasing pressure from hunting and logging, so a high quality production from National Geographic will do much to achieve this. 65% of Europe's remaining virgin forests can be found in Romania, containing all of the top predators including lynx, wolf and bear. Continue....

Foxy turned up on my doorstep as a stray pup on a cold winters evening in 2008. Bizarrely it was on the eve of my birthday when the temperatures were well below freezing. I didn't bring her into my house because I thought she would return to her mother when she was cold and hungry enough. However, she remained on my doorstep overnight and when I opened my door the following morning she stood there looking at me shivering with cold. Continue....

Beekeeping and honey production in the eastern Carpathians - This is one rural industry that up to now I have avoided. Why? Because I knew there would be a high risk of getting stung! But I can no longer afford to ignore the vital work of the beekeepers, whose bees not only pollinate local crops but also produce fine honey from a natural local environment. Lukacs Hunor is my neighbour and he comes from a family of beekeepers, whose main income is generated from honey sold on local markets. Continue....

There is a rich and vibrant Roma Gypsy culture in Transylvania, and although their history is full of persecution and quite appalling treatment, I want to concentrate on the Roma of today. It is quite incredible that so little is known about them when you consider their community makes up approximately 2% of the Romanian population, and estimated to grow rapidly due to a higher than average birth rate. Continue....

On my regular walks within the Carpathian mountain range, I am provided with stunning scenery and views that stretch across forested valleys and peaks. This region boasts some of the largest virgin broad leaf forests in Europe, and although under intense commercial pressure, large areas remain intact, complete with healthy numbers of wild bears, wolves and lynx.

Access when exploring wilderness areas of Transylvania is not always easy, especially when there is a requirement to carry heavy equipment. For me the perfect vehicle for such terrain is the Land Rover Defender. With great articulation and immense power this vehicle can access most areas. However, if I do happen to get stuck there are several options to get moving again including the use of a 12,000 lb winch. Continue....

When hiking above 1500 metres the flora looks quite different from what you find in the valleys. On a trip to the Piatre Mare I was struck by the variety and colour of the flowers that surrounded me. I relied on my companions to name several of the species we saw, and I would be grateful to anyone that can help identify those remaining on my Alpine Flora page.

Winterin Transylvania is truly cold with temperatures dropping to as low as -25 0C. However, this is a wonderful season to be in Romania where everything is covered in a thick blanket of snow causing a mysterious silence within the forest. That said, not even these extreme conditions curtail our adventures into the wilderness!